ONO President Stephen Pritchard announced that Jeffrey Dvorkin will be the organization's first ever executive director. The move came after Pritchard spend 10 months urging funding bodies to support ONO's aim to appoint an executive director. With funding from the Open Society Institute and the endorsement of ONO members, Dvorkin will work as an advocate for newsroom Ombuds around the world and coordinate other projects. Dvorkin previously served as the Ombuds for National Public radio and as Executive Director of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, in addition to an extensive career as a journalist. He also writes a blog on media ethics. (The Guardian UK; Now the Details.)Among Ombuds organizations, only ONO and FCO have dedicated administrators.Related posts: More Thoughts on the Decline of News Ombuds;
FCO Names New Administrator.
The University of California Santa Barbara Emeritus Professor passed away unexpectedly on May 26, 2009. Anderson was well known for his research on the Ombuds profession. Comprehensive bibliographies on the Ombuds field always include several of his works, most especially: - "Comparing Classical and Executive Ombudsmen," Executive Ombudsmen in the United States (1973), edited by Alan J. Wyner Berkeley, CA, University of California, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies
- “Ombud Research: A Bibliographical Essay,” 2 The Ombudsman Journal (1982), pp. 32-84
- “Ombudsmen Readings,” International Ombudsman Institute (1982)
Anderson was the former Chair of the American Bar Association Ombudsman Committee and was a plenary speaker at the USOA conference in 2006. Long-time colleague John Moore said, "Stan's work on the ombudsman was his major contribution to both scholarship and community service. With respect to ombudsmen studies, no one enjoys greater prominence than Stan Anderson." His research interests continued after retirement, and this year he published a new book, Reform in a Prison Hospital: A Doctor and an Ombudsman Blow the Whistle. (UCSB Dept. of Political Science.)
Pamela Martin, who is a freelance Organizational Ombuds, Mediator, and Human Resource Specialist, has joined the blogosphere. Her first post explores how a neutral can alleviate individuals' concerns about fairness when working through a dispute. (Critical Communicator Blog.)Related posts: ICANN Ombuds Launches Blog; New Organizational Ombuds Blog.
This week the House of Representatives introduced proposed legislation titled Compliance, Examinations, and Inspections Restructuring Act of 2009. Among other provisions, HR 2622 would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to appoint an Ombudsman to “advise and guide such persons through the process of self-reporting, ensuring appropriate and due credit is given to the registrant upon self-reporting.” The bill also specifies a significant exception to the duty of confidentiality: If the SEC Ombuds were to make a formal, written recommendation that the SEC take action against a registered broker, dealer or investment company, the Ombuds would be required to disclose any confidential communications prompting the recommendation. The bill, written by Rep. Kevin McCarthy [R-CA22] with no co-sponsors, has been referred to the House Financial Services Committee. (SEC Actions Blog; GovTrack.)Related posts: SEC Affirms Role of NASD Ombuds.
UWindsor President Alan Wildeman has announced strategic restructuring prompted by a projected shortfall of $7.8 million CDN for the 2010-11 academic year. As part of these changes, the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner and Ombuds will be phased out in favor of an Office of Human Rights and Equity, which will incorporate employment equity initiatives in Human Resources and equity functions in the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention. Cheryl Henshaw, who has served as Human Rights Commissioner and Ombuds, declined an offer to continue on during the transition and will be leaving the University at the end of June. (UWindsor Daily News; President's Update #3.)
Johnston Barkat, Deputy Secretary General and Ombudsman for the United Nations, addressed the School of Political Science and Faculty at the Spanish university this week. Barkat explained that mediation can provide significant savings, but only if participants are willing to be actively involved in the process. In addition, the mediator must keep the parties' confidence through neutrality, actively listening, and responsiveness. (EP Social, Google translation.)Related post: UN Ombuds Reports on Reorganization Efforts.
The IOA newsletter is seeking a wide range of written content, from first-person reflections to trends in the field, for the upcoming edition of the Independent Voice. This a great opportunity to reach out to the IOA community with ideas, interests, qualms, reflections, or other burning thoughts. Submissions must be sent to Samantha Levine-Finley (levinesa[at-sign]od[dot]nih[dot]gov) by June 26.
Bill Warters has discovered a rich trove of conflict resolution materials available from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Full-text documents include Alternative dispute resolution approaches and their application; Participation, consensus building, and conflict management training course; and Advanced mediation skills, course book. (Campus-ADR Tech Blog.)
The Office of the Ombudsman for Trinidad and Tobago will relocate its branch office in Tobago to "provide clients with more spacious surroundings and a superior ambiance." (TT Breaking News.)
Last week, a U.S. Federal District Court judge in San Francisco dismissed a case filed against Chevron Corp., subsidiary companies and several employees, including the corporate Ombuds. In his complaint, Samuel Johnson alleged that discrimination and retaliation lead to his suspension and firing in 2006. Before filing the lawsuit, Johnson had consulted with Chevron's Ombuds and attempted an informal resolution with his supervisors, who were eventually named as individual defendants. The court dismissed the case on a procedural motion after determining that the plaintiff's case was factually insufficient. The case is an unpublished decision available only from subscription services. (Johnson v. Chevron Corp., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42422 (N.D. Cal. May 19, 2009).)
President Amy Gutmann has announced that Joan F. Goodman, PhD, will become the University Ombudsman on July 1, 2009, succeeding John Keene. “I am confident that the expertise, judgment, and compassion that Joan Goodman will bring to this role will be employed to very good effect on behalf of the Penn community,” said Gutmann. Dr. Goodman has been a tenured professor in the Graduate School of Education since in 1994. Her prior experience includes service as a school psychologist as well as practicing and teaching applied psychology at hospitals for children in Washington, D.C., Oakland, California, and in Philadelphia. Her current primary research interest is moral education, both theoretical and applied. She is has written more than 40 articles and chapters and is the author or co-author of several books, most recently Moral Education: A Teacher-Centered Approach. (UPenn Almanac.)Related post: University of Pennsylvania Ombuds Issues Annual Report.
Dr. Antonio Cepeda-Benito, who has served as Texas A&M University’s faculty Ombuds since 2006, will become dean of faculties and associate provost. The University is restructuring the faculty Ombuds position and an appointment is expected soon. (TAMU News.)Related post: Texas A&M Restructuring Ombuds Office.
Trustees at the St. John’s Medical Center in Idaho are moving forward with plans to hire the hospital’s first Ombuds by June. A committee has already collected applications from about 30 candidates since the board advertised for the position. (Jackson Hole News.)Prior post: Jackson Hole Hospital Creating Ombuds Office.
Following an investigation into deficiencies in its Teacher Education Program, UW-Parkside has implemented several corrective actions including the creation of an Ombuds program for students. Emeritus professor Dr. Dwayne G. Olsen was named to the position, effective June 3, 2009. Olsen will also work with the Teacher Education Program to ensure all requirements for teacher licensure and program accreditation are met. Meanwhile, the UW-Parkside faculty continue to debate the merits of a faculty Ombuds for the entire university. (UW-Parkside News and Committee Minutes, 3/24/09; Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Online.)
The Internet's largest mediation website has announced a mediator certification program. The scheme has been in development for more than a year and will rival the certification program being developed by the International Mediation Institute. Mediate.com says that ceritification is primarily for the benefit of consumers and their advisers. The adopted training and experience standards are consistent with those recommended by the ACR Task Force. Some of the highlights of the program include:- Training and Experience -- Mediators must have at least 100 hours of mediation training and 500 hours of mediation experience.
- Test -- There is no examination of any kind.
- Cost -- The application fee and first year membership is $150; thereafter the annual cost is $50.
- Audit of Applications -- Mediate.com will review information provided by the applicant, including web site information, to ensure compliance with program standards.
- References -- Applicants must supply references to attest to the mediator's work.
- Continuing Education -- Certified mediators are required to complete at least 12 hours of annual continuing education.
- Ethical Standards -- Members must subscribe to the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators promulgated by the American Arbitration Association, the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution, and the Association for Conflict Resolution.
- Not Available for Offices -- Certification is available to individuals only.
- International -- The program is intended to be global.
- Enforcement -- There is no apparent protocol for decertifying mediators.
At the Organizational Ombudsman Blog, Clayton Gilman takes a critical look at Mediate.com's certification program and finds some good and bad elements. Overall he concludes that, “this is yet another organization telling me ‘you don’t qualify for our club’.” (Mediate.com Blog, Certification Program; Organizational Ombudsman Blog.)Related post: International Mediation Institute Reveals Certification Plans.
According to a student newspaper, a Pomona College search committee has made a recommendation to President David Oxtoby to hire a candidate for the position of Campus Ombuds. The editorial went on to complain that the committee mischaracterized and ignored feedback from students and service staff regarding the ten-month search and the finalist. According to the author, many students and staff were offended by some of the candidate's statements, and there was a general feeling of distrust for both the individual candidate and for the position of the ombudsperson. In addition, several committee members questioned the ethics of filling the position despite budget cuts and a general hiring freeze. (The Student Life.)Prior posts: Pomona College Committees Endorse Ombuds Position; Pomona Students Press Demand for Staff Ombuds; Job Posting.
The Veterans Health Administration is seeking a Patient Relations Specialist for its facility in Seattle. According to the job description, the incumbent is responsible as an “ombudsman” primarily responsible for assisting patients with complaints and/or problems; serving as the liaison between patients and the medical center; and providing a specific channel through which patients can seek solutions to problems, concerns and unresolved needs. Unfortunately, the position is open only to current permanent VA PSHCS employees, permanent Veterans Canteen Service employees, and those covered under the OPM Interchange Agreement. The position pays $40,527-64,445 per year. Applications are due May 22, 2009. (FederalGovernmentJobs.)
Peggy Focarino, Acting Commissioner for Patents at the US Patent and Trademark Office is considering an external Ombuds program as part of an overall effort to improve the application process. She proposes placing an Ombuds in each of the agency's Technology Centers, the working groups that evaluate patent applications units. Focarino says that the Technology Center Ombuds would be an available resource to applicants on application-specific issues to facilitate the resolution of issues when problems arise. She envisions Ombuds to be independent of an examiner’s chain of command with a mandate to be neutral. Several intellectual property experts have called on the USPTO to implement an Ombuds program. (IP Watchdog; Anticipate This!; Toledo Intellectual Property Law Association.)Related post: Federal Ombuds Publish Unified Model for Developing an Office.
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education reported that complaints from students rose 23% in 2008. Disputes over postgraduate courses and allegations of plagiarism pushed up the total. The agency said the rise reflected a "cultural change" with fee-paying students wanting more value for money. The increase reflected a mere 900 complaints for the year from a total student population of 1.9 million. (BBC News.)Related posts: University Ombuds Still Rare in UK Due to New Judicial Process; Britain's University Watchdog Calls for American-Style Ombuds; Survey Finds Students Do Not Trust Australian University Ombuds; Students Call for Global Ombuds.
The US House Committee on Homeland Security has approved a bill that would make several improvements to the national transportation infrastructure. Tucked into H.R. 2200, the "Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act," is a provision that would establish an Ombuds program for the the Federal Air Marshal Service. The head of the FAMs would be appointed by the TSA Assistant Secretary to "carry out programs and activities to improve morale, training, and quality of life issues in the Service, including through implementation of the recommendations of the Comptroller General." Approval by the House committee means that the bill will now be placed on House's general calendar for further consideration. (GovTrack.)Related post: Inspector General Recommends Realignment of TSA Ombuds Program.
ONO President Stephen Pritchard announced that Jeffrey Dvorkin will be the organization's first ever executive director. The move came after Pritchard spend 10 months urging funding bodies to support ONO's aim to appoint an executive director. With funding from the Open Society Institute and the endorsement of ONO members, Dvorkin will work as an advocate for newsroom Ombuds around the world and coordinate other projects. Dvorkin previously served as the Ombuds for National Public radio and as Executive Director of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, in addition to an extensive career as a journalist. He also writes a blog on media ethics. (The Guardian UK; Now the Details.)
